Enter Tsubasa: Wings of Inuyasha
by Silvertalon2oo5
Summary: Basically, this story takes a different look at the personal life of Inuyasha. It introduces a stubbornly forgotten friend of our HalfDemon Hero who was forgotten when Kikyo's sacred spell bound him to a tree. Don't kill me!


Just a note: The Tsubasa in this story is a character of my own creation and has nothing to do with the anime series known as The Tsubasa Chronicles.

Enter Tsubasa: Wings of Inuyasha

In the days of feudal Japan, demons and gods roamed the land along side humans. Some were clearly seen for what they are; some were not. They had many forms ranging from insect to human to ogre and more. For some, form was fluid and unimportant. Such was the case for the demon Naraku who committed countless heinous acts merely because he could.

In this time of spiritual power and divine influence there lived a priestess by the name of Kikyo. She was the keeper and protector of a heavily coveted gem known as the Shikon Jewel. As well as this she was the lover of a half-demon by the name of Inuyasha. The couple was thrilled to be together, though they knew it could never be so long as she was a priestess and he part demon. They came to the conclusion that the only way to be together was a dramatic change in lifestyle. Kikyo had been charged with guarding the sacred jewel, so she couldn't do it. Inuyasha, however, had a chance. With the sacred power of the jewel, he could become fully human and they could truly be together at last.

And so it was settled. They would meet in the forest and use the jewel to make their lives better in the only way possible. Perfect. This meant there was an opportunity for them both to drop their guard. It was almost as if they had set this up just for him. From his perch in the trees, Naraku allowed a knowing smile to crack across his solid face. At last it will be mine. And to make things better…I'll be rid of them both. I'll strike her so she dies slowly. Then she kills him and dies. If I can't have her, I certainly won't let you have her, Inuyasha.He set out with great enthusiasm to put his vile plan into motion, his victims none the wiser.

This particular story, however, does not outline the events of Naraku's great deceptions or the binding of Inuyasha. This story follows another demon; one whose entire reason for being placid was the chance to fight whenever possible. The demon in this story is known as Tsubasa, the winged demon and near-brother to Inuyasha. Tsubasa had quite the penchant for lounging in trees when he wasn't fighting anything or training with Inuyasha. He at first despised the thought of his dear friend loving the priestess, but he had grown accustomed to the sight of her and was glad to see the half demon in her company.

Tsubasa dazed happily in his favorite tree, as is usual, when a rogue stone came into swift contact with his right temple. There were only two people in the world that could be bold enough to do such a deed to him, and one was on his way to the meeting place. Damn. That woman never stops with the stones. He looked down to find Kikyo staring up at him and gently tossing another stone up and down in her hand. Where does she get those things!

"Yes, Kikyo," he asked with a twinge of impatience at his rest being disturbed.

"Tsubasa, where is Inuyasha," She asked, still ready with the second stone.

"He's on his way to meet _you_," replied the demon, "And be quick with him. We're due to train later." He waved her away and lay back to return to his nap.

"Indeed," said the priestess with dull malcontent at the demon's lack of enthusiasm. She turned to head off for her meeting with Inuyasha. "Demons," she muttered under her breath as she walked away.

"Just so you know," Tsubasa shouted after her, "you're in love with one!" He never knew why Kikyo was so irritable around him, but he wasn't really the type who would care. Such a practice was, after all, common between humans and demons. Though he wished he could understand the stones. He knew what kind of power was held within Kikyo's deceptively feminine arms. She could easily cause him great pain with a single stone. It seemed as though she merely wanted his attention, no doubt as a courtesy due to his friendship with Inuyasha.

Little did Tsubasa know, but there would be no meeting, and no training. There would be no sign whatsoever of his friend for over fifty years. When Inuyasha didn't show up for their usual training, Tsubasa became agitated and cursed the priestess for her undeniable hand in this. That night he went under cover of darkness to the woman's abode, expecting to find them there. Instead he found a funeral pyre and Kikyo's mourning sister, Kaiede. He watched curiously as the flames died and the mourners drifted away. When the girl was alone he descended from his perch to get answers. He landed softly behind her leaving only enough sound for her to know. Kaiede turned slowly, her eyes teary.

"Where are they," was Tsubasa's simple and agitated question. This only further upset the girl.

"Th-They – Sh-She…" was all she could manage before breaking down into tears once again. She finally collected herself enough to point to the embers from the pyre. It was then that he realized what she was trying to say. He sagged for a moment as he considered this concept.

He looked back up to the sobbing Kaiede. "Farewell," was all he could muster. He turned away and flew into the night. He needed to think. He needed to mourn his friend. He needed to know how and why! Inuyasha was not one to die easily. If there had been a battle that could take his life, Tsubasa would have found out and joined the fray. There was only one way his friend could be slain so quietly, and _she_ was now nothing but ash and bone. Still…something didn't add up. The bond the two had was phenomenal. Surely Tsubasa would have felt such a thing as his near-brother's death. Could Inuyasha still be alive? It was certainly something to hope for. The only way to know was to look. And so the demon set out to find his friend and confirm that he is still very much alive.

Tsubasa searched for forty years to find his friend, coming with each new lead to no avail. Finally he determined that if Inuyasha _was_ still alive, he could not possibly be in any place that he has access to. The tired and depressed demon decided to spread a powerful legacy in the name of his friend. He spent the next ten years disguised as hunched old man spreading the name of the Great Dog Demon, Inuyasha. His unending efforts to make a name for the half-demon, however, proved futile. He overestimated the amount of respect humans now held for their elders. The hunched old man he had masqueraded as was seen as daft and disregarded on every occasion. He took to drinking as an escape from the world where everything he knew was gone. The bars of Japan became his new home and rice wine his new friend. The great Tsubasa felt slain and waited for the day when this would become truth. On occasion he would overhear conversations that sounded like the return of his near-brother, but he no longer felt the desire to chase a false lead.

Then, one day, the sun broke through his clouds of misery and pain. While drinking in a bar he overheard some old men discussing current events. Nothing new as far as he could tell. The lord of the region had declared another war. Someone's wife had given birth to twins. He stared into the intoxicating liquid which half filled his cup. Why do I listen anymore? It was at this moment that one of the old men seemed to read his thoughts and remember an interesting bit of news.

"Did you hear," said the man to his friends, "they say some half-demon passed through town with a strange group following him. They say he has the ears of a dog and a blood red kimono." This seemed to peak Tsubasa's interest. He stopped all motion and listened intently to the men.

"Yes," replied another, "seeking to destroy some other demon of pure evil." Tsubasa's ears flattened against his head in an attempt to get closer to the conversation taking place. Huh?

"Oh yes," remarked the third, "what was his name? Ani…? Ona…? Unagi? Was that it?'

"No, you old fool," said the first, "that's what you had for lunch. It was Inu-something or other. Started with an I, I know that much." Tsubasa's head jerked upright, his eyes as wide as the bowls the men held. Can it be?

"Inuyasha," he whispered under his breath.

"What's that," asked the man nearest him. Tsubasa collected himself and calmly turned to the three men. They were watching him curiously.

"The one you speak of," he said, "could his name be Inuyasha?"

"Yeah, that was it," replied the second man. Tsubasa's eyes lit up.

"Where was he headed," he asked, now visibly eager.

"Northeast, I believe. Into the mountain path," answered the first man.

"When," asked Tsubasa, on the brink of shouting.

"About an hour ago, I believe," the third man stated. Tsubasa pondered this quietly for a few seconds while staring at the men. Can it really be _him?_ It's worth one last check. He might not remember, though. I'll make him remember. His internal conflict resolved, Tsubasa gathered his belongings and summoned a waitress.

"Waitress," he said, "I'd like to buy a drink for each of these men." He indicated the three codgers. "And six of your loveliest girls. Two for each." He fished in his pocket and produced a generous handful of money, which he then placed in the shocked girl's hand. "This should cover everything." He had learned very early in his investigations that reward seemed to be far better for gathering information than violence and threats, however a combination of the two seemed best of all. The waitress and the men exchanged glances as the mysterious hunched old man rushed out of the bar at very decent speeds. There was a flutter like the furious flapping of wings and, when they turned to the noise, the man was gone. All that remained was his wig and moustache lying on the ground.

High above the village Tsubasa soared once again, his face an expression of determination, as he made his way to the nearby mountains. It must be him. Dark wings flapped furiously as he swooped down near the path to begin his scan. If Inuyasha was there, Tsubasa's eagle-accurate eyes'd spot him. Tsubasa searched for four miles before a band of travelers entered his view. Sure enough, one of the ones at the front wore a red kimono and had some very familiar features. The winged demon sped on in order to land in front the group.

As they made their way to the crest of a hill Inuyasha and his friends noticed a mysterious demon standing in their path. He had an unusual grin and his head was tilted so that his hair covered his eyes. He seemed to be laughing to himself.

"Well, well," said the demon, "how long has it been, Inuyasha? Fifty years? We have some catching up to do."

"You know me," he asked, somewhat irritable.

"Ah. That's right," said the demon, his grin getting larger, "you might need a blow to the head to restore some of your memories." The demon lifted his head to fully reveal the demented expression of overzealous joy on his face. "Let me help you with that!"

Inuyasha braced himself as the winged demon lunged for an attack. Fists clenched, the pair fought using near identical techniques, each blow blocked and countered using the next. It was as though the winged demon knew each move Inuyasha would make before he made them. As the fight waged on numerous attempts to strike Inuyasha's head were made; each one was dodged or blocked by the dog-eared half-demon. The two soon found themselves with hands intertwined, face-to-face, grunting with strain to overcome the other. They were evenly matched in strength and, it seemed, technique. Finally the winged demon's grunts turned to a barely audible laugh and his expression returned to a knowing grin.

"You're good," Tsubasa said to his opponent. Inuyasha only grunted. "Tell me if you remember this!" The demon turned Inuyasha's hands back ever so slightly as he began to rise with his wings flapping furiously. Before long both the demons were airborne with the one incapable of flight kicking as he sought ground to stand on. Tsubasa laughed more maniacally as he and Inuyasha began to whirl like a pair of blades. After enough momentum had built up the winged demon released his opponent with effortless ease, which in turn launched the unsuspecting Inuyasha to the ground.

Hovering above the ground, Tsubasa waited to see if his plan to restore the half-demon's memory had worked. As he watched, a peculiar gleam caught the attention of his eagle-like eyes. Concealed in the pocket of the girl who had been traveling along side Inuyasha was a glass container, which held fragments of the jewel that virtually all who are wicked sought. Without hesitation the demon swooped down and grabbed the distracted girl in his arms. He raced into the sky and was high above the others before he looked down into the face of the one he'd just abducted. Many features of her face were indeed familiar. She in fact looked much like Kikyo. There was, of course, the youth in her eyes that had left Kikyo's long ago, but this could always be feigned.

"You look like someone I once knew," he stated to nervous girl.

"Let me go," she screamed. The girl began to squirm for freedom, not realizing how unwise it would be to have the demon drop her from such an altitude.

"Frisky, aren't we? Can't release you just yet, though," the demon responded.

"You bastard," was the scream that came from below in Inuyasha's voice. The winged demon looked down to see his friend as he appeared from the cloud of dust and rose toward them at an accelerated rate. "Let her go!" The half-demon clawed at his target, inevitably ripping a gash in Tsubasa's pant leg.

"Son of a bitch," the winged demon shouted at Inuyasha, "you could have hurt me!" He brought his leg round and struck Inuyasha in the back of the head near the crown of the skull, sending the half-demon hurtling back down to Earth. Did it work? It was at this time that Kagome became truly fed up with her strange abductor.

"I said LET ME GO," she shouted once more, this time slapping the demon in the face. This blow sobered him up rather quickly as well as the fact of his friend rising from another dust could even more enraged than before.

"Very well," the demon responded, dropping the screaming Kagome into the arms of her dear Inuyasha. "Farewell, Kiddies," shouted the demon before flying off. The demon flew off ahead of the group and into the trees.

After night fell Inuyasha and his friends were sitting around a fire, discussing the mysterious demon and whether he is linked to Naraku or not. A strange noise aroused the interest of Sango the Demon Slayer. When it seemed as though the others were distracted she slipped into the forest, hand on her Hiraiko, to investigate the sound. After a while she dismissed it as some random animal and turned to head back to the camp.

"I recognize you," said a voice from nowhere that froze the woman in her tracks. Her grip increasing on the weapon, she spun around and looked into the darkness. There was nothing there, at first. After a few seconds of searching, her eyes picked up on a lump in a nearby tree. It seemed to be relaxing rather than preparing for a fight. It wasn't even looking at her. How rude! She remained ready for a fight, despite the shadow's apparent relaxation. "You are traveling with Inuyasha, aren't you," the demon inquired.

"What business do you have with him," Sango asked. The demon ignored her question and move ahead with his own business.

"I see you have a rather large weapon," he stated, "heavy, is it?" The slayer was slightly taken aback by this. Why should he care about her weapon? "I have need of it," he said with blunt force, "will you help me?"

"Why should I help _you_," she asked accusingly. The demon seemed to move without actual motion taking place as he fell from the tree and landed in front of Sango, startling her in the process. He straightened himself up and faced her with and expression of urgent seriousness on his face.

"They say a blow to the correct place on the head will restore one's lost memories," he explained, "right where the hair moves in all directions, I believe."

"What does that have to do with anything," she blurted.

"I have failed to restore my friend's memories through force," the demon continued, "but perhaps your weapon will hold a proper blow, if you are willing to help. You see, Inuyasha lost a number of his memories when he almost died at the hand of Kikyo and the memories of me are included in those ones. The only way to bring them back is to hit him in the head."

"Why should I believe you," Sango asked.

"Why," the demon responded, "because I'm Inuyasha's closest friend and wouldn't lie to you about him."

"Try again," the woman demanded.

"Okay," said the demon, "how about more proof?" He lifted his sleeve to reveal a scar carved into his right shoulder in the shape of a fang. "Have a look at Inuyasha's right shoulder and you'll see the same scar. We carved into each other's arm when we were younger as a symbol of everlasting brotherhood. That should serve as proof." The demon leapt into the trees and disappeared before Sango could get a word out.

As she headed back to camp she thought about the demon's words. Could he be telling the truth? She was unsure whether she should look or not. It could never hurt to check, but Inuyasha might get upset. And no one that wasn't immortal wanted to deal with an angry Inuyasha. She soon found herself back in the camp with her friends watching her expectantly.

"Sango, are you alright," inquired Miroku, his eyes an expression of concern. Sango hesitated as she considered what to do.

"Yes, I'm fine," the woman stated. She then turned to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha," she said, "I know this will sound odd, but…could you please show me your right shoulder?" Inuyasha was slightly disconcerted by her politeness alone; add to it her sudden interest in his shoulder. After a moment, he quietly rolled his sleeve up to expose the aforesaid shoulder. Sure enough, it had a scar on it in the shape of a fang.

"The- the mark," Sango exclaimed.

"Got your proof yet," said a voice from out of the darkness that had the entire group up and armed. It seemed to come from everywhere. "We used to be so close, Inuyasha," it said, "how could you forget me so stubbornly?" As he spoke the final words, the winged demon stepped out of the woods behind Inuyasha. A convenient snapped twig caused the half-demon to turn around and face Tsubasa, thus exposing his back to Sango. She eyed the back of his head, calculating her chances of survival if she failed. They were better than any random demon, but still not to her liking. The winged demon rolled up his sleeve to reveal his shoulder to his friend. "Do you remember me now, Inuyasha?" Inuyasha froze as he began to recognize the scar; somewhere in the recesses of his mind, cracks were beginning to form on the wall that blocked memories of his old friend. A plaster of anger, however, quickly began covering the cracks and showing itself on his face. He gripped his sword and braced himself for battle, ignoring the nagging suspicion that if this demon really wanted to hurt him it wouldn't have left when he was distracted with catching Kagome. What do you want, demon? Who are you?

The demon sighed and appeared to nod in Inuyasha's general direction. Sango, who had spent the last few seconds explaining things to the others as best she could, recognized the signal as clearly meaning that it was time to act. She did not, however, act as the demon had told her to. Instead, she decided to try using words to calm the half-demon and try to help him remember. She spoke quickly, hoping Inuyasha's beloved Kagome would step in to help.

"Stop," she said, "he is not your enemy." She regarded the winged demon. He seemed unsure of her motives, but still intrigued. "He knew all of your moves when you fought earlier and, somehow, you knew his. The two of you obviously know each other." It was at this time that Kagome stepped in, bringing her hand to rest on Inuyasha's.

"I think she's right, Inuyasha," said the girl, "I also think there's a reason for the matching scars." Inuyasha stared into her eyes, confused by this unusual turn of events. They assured him that she just may be right and that he should, just maybe, listen to reason. "Let's talk to him," she said, "maybe he can explain why he seems so interested in you." Her words began to sink in and the half-demon began to relax. Exactly why his friends suddenly believed some demon he wasn't sure, but Kagome was usually right and she seemed rather certain about this. He finally took his hand from his sword and, sheathing the weapon, sat back down in front of the fire. Kagome took her place by his side and Shippo went back to his top. He did so enjoy it as a toy when not using it to trick other demons.

Sango and Miroku invited the winged demon to join them around the fire. Tsubasa took up a seat across from Inuyasha and Kagome, curious as how words could restore a memory. The only method he had heard of was sharp blows like the ones he had dealt to Inuyasha earlier that day. Moments passed eternally as the two old friends stared into each other across the flames. Kagome finally broke the silence and addressed the demon.

"So," she began hesitantly, "what's- what's your name? Mine is Kagome." The demon appeared to process this, though he never tore his eyes from the half-demon before him. His thoughts gathered, the demon finally spoke.

"Tsubasa," he declared with blunt force. The girl seemed satisfied that he answered as well as bothered by his terseness. "Inuyasha's Fang Brother."

"Is that so," Kagome pursued, "how long have you two known each other?"

"Since we were young children, not even as old as this fox," he indicated Shippo, still without moving his head or eyes, "we met shortly after my mother's death." This appeared to make a crack in Inuyasha's internal wall, recognition beginning to show on his countenance. The winged demon decided to follow through with this line of recall. "His mother offered to take me in," he continued, "but I couldn't bring myself to consider anyone else a mother. Instead we built a shelter for me high on a cliff where I would be safe from demon hunters and the like. Of course, after a while we got fed up with trying to communicate over a cliff so I moved back down into a shack near his mother's." The half-demon listened intently to this story, memories slowly attempting to return.

"But…you…couldn't live in a shack…too...cramped. That's when…you started…," Inuyasha finally started to recall.

"Sleeping in trees," finished the winged demon. "Indeed."

"I'm sorry to hear that…your mother's death I mean," Kagome replied, "do you mind if I ask how it happened?" The winged demon stared for a lingering moment, more at the flames than at his friend now.

"Murdered," he finally said, "at the hands of an adolescent dog demon." This appeared to make far greater blows to the wall in Inuyasha's mind. "Yes, you know him, Inuyasha," the demon continued, "It was Sesshomouru." The shock in the half-demon's face was heavily evident. He knew his brother was capable of heinous things – that was part of being a demon – but…killing a young demon's mother? He had difficulty processing the concept. Then, it happened.

Memories gushed forth from the bowels of the half-demon's mind. He lurched forward with hands on his head as though struck by a massive stone. It all came back. The training, the good times, the bad, all of it. After a while he managed to speak.

"I…remember," he muttered, "Ts- Ts- Tsubasa!" His head shot up and he stared in the eyes of his friend. He finally remembered who it was.

The rest of the night was spent sharing fond memories and laughing about past humiliations. The two near-brothers took turns telling embarrassing stories about what the other had done. The entire group noticed a distinct change in atmosphere as the night passed. Most notable for Kagome, however, was that Inuyasha now seemed happier than ever before.

The next day approached rather noisily, much like the demon who just happened to sense the jewel shards Kagome currently held. The noise of the approaching demon startled the group, with the exception of Tsubasa who was still comfortable in a tree. They jumped up and prepared for battle. Inuyasha drew the Tetsusaiga and braced. Just as the assault was about to begin, a hand appeared on his shoulder. It was attached to the arm of none other than the Winged Demon Tsubasa. He glared at the opposing demon with a grin across his face. With excited anticipation for the fight in his eyes, he turned to look at Inuyasha.

"May I, my friend," he asked the half-demon, much like old times. Inuyasha's golden eyes fixed on his friends green eyes. They were both calm and filled overzealous joy at the same time. Finally he stood back and sheathed his mighty weapon with an equal grin on his face, a move that shocked everyone else in the group.

"Be my guest," he said and waved his friend towards the demon. Drawing his sword, the winged demon lunged into battle with sadistic joy for the first time in over fifty years.


End file.
